Imperfection Is Perfection
by Star Magic Blooms
Summary: She thought he was a coward after he ran away. He was just too preoccupied. Crossing roads once again had never been the more perfect option. HimekoXBossun with slight BossunXAyano. Settings placed after they graduate.


Disclaimer: I do not own Sket Dance. Period.

**Chapter 1: Courage and Truth**

"Are you sure that you can't come over again? It has been two years since you had actually come down to join Rumi and I for Christmas," Fujisaki Akane whined.

Yusuke laughed at his mother's reaction. He held his hands up. "Sorry. My hands are tied."

Akane pouted. "You're no fun anymore," she said and stuck a tongue at him. "At least send the kids over here for the holidays! I only get to see them once a year, you know!"

He smirked. "I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into, Mom," he said. "Leave them alone for a minute and the next thing you know, they might burn the house down."

"Don't say things like that! I raised you and Rumi so why can't I do the same?"

"They're not me or Rumi. They're your _grandchildren_. Does that make a difference?"

"None at all!"

Yusuke shook his head in submission. "Sorry, Mom. Maybe next time?"

Akane huffed. "Yeah, sure," she said. "I'm already used to it, anyway. It always has to be about the job or the distance, isn't it? Well, I'm off, Yusuke. I think I'll be off to bed."

"Sure."

"Tell the boys that Granny said hi." The monitor died out in an instant. Yusuke sighed. Where was he? Oh, right. Christmas party.

Christmas parties. Kiddie Christmas parties. Those were always one of those times when Yusuke would find himself hanging on at the edge of a cliff, holding on for dear life. It was definitely stressful and tiring and a pain in the neck. Plus, he never really was the perfect party planner and he never had much talent at handling kids but somehow, it just became mandatory to throw one for the sake of the season's spirit. Well okay, as well as to find a perfect excuse to treat himself to some nice champagne right after the aftermath of the said party.

Every year was always the same and though he had complained about it every time the holidays drew near, he always ended up doing the party, no matter how simple. He sighed as he did a mental checklist while cutting out his thirtieth paper snowflake. First, there were the nearby orphans to invite and then, there were those kids whom he always saw in that small day care center. After that, a couple of neighbours he had next door were always welcome to come every year and then, some colleagues from the elementary school and friends came if they felt like it. He dropped the scissors and stared at his fingers. Damn. And every year, the list just gets longer.

He took the scissors again and did another mental checklist as he started to cut another paper snowflake. Um, what was next? Right, food. Maybe finger food would be a lot more convenient. It was less messy and people could easily wash their hands right after they ate, especially the kids. Maybe he could whip up some pasta, too. Maybe some spaghetti or lasgna—

No. Big mistake. Lasagna really wasn't the best option when it came to dealing with a huge group of five-year olds to seven-year-olds. Bossun shuddered at the thought of last year's clean up job when that Keisaku kid had wiped the pasta all over the living room wall. Little demon. Ugh. That was it. No pasta or anything with sauces. Or maybe he could just hide them long enough in the kitchen until the older visitors would come along.

He shrugged to himself. Meh, worth a shot.

After inwardly debating to himself which games he would set up for the event, Yusuke had finished about enough paper snowflakes to sew them into an a long chain of holiday streamers. Taking a needle and a sewing thread in hand, he sewed on three of the snowflakes he had just made when he stopped and realized that something was off. He stared around at his condominium unit, fully furnished in Christmas décor, trying to figure out what was wrong. After a good look at the floor strewn with bond paper and broken Crayola, Bossun knew there really was something off. The place was quiet. Too quiet.

He dropped the ornaments and stood up. He stretched and placed his hands on his hips. He turned to the clock. Eleven-thirty. Was it really that late? He sighed and opened his mouth to speak but heard the sound of soft piano keys.

Yusuke's face broke into a smile. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed it before. He crossed to the other room and stood by to listen to the soft music playing. Beethoven. He watched as tiny little hands pressed the keys so softly, so sadly yet lightly at the same time. He was only five, turning six and he was already playing like a master. The kid had so much talent; Yusuke never knew where he got it. He shifted his gaze to one of the sitting chairs in the small room. A pair of small sleepy honey brown eyes stared dreamily at the piano as his pair of small hands held a broken Crayola and bond paper. Then, as if by clockwork, those other pair of tiny hands dropped the Crayola and the paper onto the floor and dropped those sleepy honey eyes into sleep. The music stopped as well and a yawn took its place. Yusuke shook his head and laughed softly.

"Okay, boys," he said gently, "Time for bed." He slowly picked up the sleeping boy slouched on one of the sitting chairs and threw him softly against his shoulder. He clung onto Yusuke's neck in response and buried his face in it. He grunted. God, he was definitely getting heavier. The other one rubbed his eyes drowsily and climbed on to his arm slowly when he offered it. Like the first, the second child wrapped both arms behind his neck and hid his face in it.

He slowly (and silently) made his way across the condo. The nursery was not really that far. Just a few steps away. When he stepped inside, Bossun gently let them down, each on their respective beds. Both whimpered when they lost his touch but with a mild shush, they managed to sink into their pillows. He slowly drew the covers on top of them and tucked in the corners. He chuckled when he saw one of them thumb sucking before he pulled it out. After flicking the night lamp on, he took the time to glance at them from the doorway. From the orange light of the lamp, he watched them sleep in that blue toy-infested nursery with misplaced stickers of the Power Rangers, dragons, robots, vehicles and dinosaurs and glow-in-the-dark stars and space rockets. He ruffled their heads of soft black hair and kissed both of them good night. The two smiled in their sleep.

With quiet footsteps, he left and closed the door softly behind him. Yusuke sighed. Well, at least the hyperactivity from the chocolates Sasuke had sent was gone. Now he'll fix just have to fix up one of the streamers, clean up after the twins' mess and then go to bed. He stepped on a piece of paper. He picked up and another smile broke onto his face. Bless his soul. A sketch of him and the twins building a snowman. It made him feel warm. Complete. Fulfilled.

Fujisaki Yusuke. Age twenty-seven (God, was he old.) Elementary school teacher. Lastly and importantly, father of two. Father of twins. He couldn't ask for anything else.

Holding it in his hand, he knew just what to do with it. A cup of coffee and a trip to the fridge. He sighed. He needed a bigger fridge. And more magnets.

* * *

The monitor died out in an instant. Akane breathed deeply. She tied her hair up in a messy bun and fixed her robe. She grabbed herself a mug and filled it with tea. She took a small sip and stared out into the white winter night. That Yuusuke. Recently, he always deprived her of her happiness.

Well, it wasn't that she didn't consider her children her happiness. She had always been proud of her children. They were her suns, moons and stars. Name it and that would be them. They were her heroes. They saved her in almost every way she could have imagined. Stress, disappointments, they always had that magic touch, that healing smile. Rumi and Yusuke were no doubt the best things that ever happened to her.

She bit her lip at the thought of her son. Yusuke. He was young, too young to experience everything she had when she first had him. He still had so many things to do, so many places to go, so many people to meet and help. He had his dreams to go around and living out his parent's wishes; to help different people when they needed someone—anyone at all who could help them. And then, in the middle of those years, it happened.

They happened.

She gripped her cup hard. He was twenty-four back then and still inexperienced. Shaking her head, she wondered once again if that incident had really been a blessing to him. She always thought it might have been a burden but she couldn't help herself. Akane, too, had fallen in love with those whom she called as "mistakes." Whenever she looked at those eyes, as gold as honey, she knew that they were not what she thought they were. At least not like how she first saw them.

Akane stiffened her lips into a straight line as she recalled the memory. Even to this day, she found it so hurting with all the shock and the anger. It still hurt. And it hurt deeply when she knew she was wrong about him. About them. About everything.

* * *

_"Yuusuke, open this door right now!" Akane called as she pounded on the apartment door where her son stayed. It had been about almost a month since her son last talked to her or even came to Tokyo to see her. After that last visit he had in Tokyo, Yuusuke showed up right at the apartment hall, said a few words and left almost immediately. He hadn't answered the phone, taken any of her or Rumi's calls, cut off connections with Switch and Himeko , his closest friends and he'd ignored everyone that had come to his doorstep. It was only a matter of time, though, when Akane and Rumi found out that he had left his old apartment for a new one. A matter of two weeks before they found the recent area he had been living in._

_He was hiding something. And she knew that time, it wasn't a small secret._

_Now, in this condominium unit an island away from her, Akane was determined to find out what exactly that secret was. Now, in this place, she won't let her own son ignore her for all she cared._

_"Fine," she said, placing a hang in her pocket. "If you won't open this door, then I will call the police…"_

_"Bro…" Rumi started but never got to finish. Luckily, it didn't have to be as Akane said. The door easily gave way under Akane's hand. Both mother and daughter made a face when they entered the apartment. It was lit but still filled with boxes and several other packages. The furniture around the area was still covered in clear plastic. The sun's blinding rays entered the condo harshly with the curtains still strewn carelessly on the floor. He had just moved in. From the kitchen on the other side of the wall, they heard the sound of flowing water. Turning to the sound, they found a tall, slim figure in a red sweater and dark jogging pants. He was holding a steaming mug and he silently turned to them as well._

_"Yuusuke! What the hell?"_

_"Bro…"_

_Yusuke didn't bother raising his eyes towards his mother and sister. He continued to stare at the floor, his gaze distant and his brown eyes darkly hiding and shying away. He was tired and most likely, running a fever. Akane shivered at the sight and all her anger dissipated at once. No longer was she a mother angry at a twenty-one year old son who left mysteriously without saying a word. She was now a mother of a five year old boy, a baby who was sick with the cold and was yearning for his mother's touch. She rushed to his side, Rumi tailing and wrapped her arms around him._

_Haru and Ryousuke's baby boy. Her baby boy._

_Yusuke broke free from her hug and placed the mug on the counter. He finally managed to look at her and weakly smile at her. "Let's sit on the couch, Mom, Rumi," he said and led the two women in the living room. Akane felt herself shiver again. Yup, she was definitely scared._

_"Yusuke, what's the meaning of this?" she asked him. "You show up suddenly in Tokyo and then, leave without saying a word and then you cut all forms of contact? What's going on?" No reaction. "C'mon, Yu-kun, talk to me, what's going on? You're making everyone worried. I'm worried. Rumi's worried. Switch and Himeko are worried. Everybody's— You can tell me any—"_

_"Does Himeko know? Does Switch know? Does anybody else know you're both here?" Yusuke asked with such animation._

_She shook her head. "That's why she wanted me to find you. Switch and her, that is."_

_Yusuke fell back onto the couch and buried his head in his hands. She looked at him. He was hesitant, she knew. Hesitant to tell her the truth. "Mom, there's a reason why I left without saying anything," he mumbled, still avoiding the look in her eyes as well as his sister's._

_"Well, I can see that," she shot back. "And I want to know why."_

_"I've been busy."_

_"Yeah, I can see that, too." Akane couldn't go against that, especially after seeing all the cardboard boxes and the freshly wrapped furniture. She wrapped her arms around him once again. "Yuu-kun, you know you can tell me—"_

_"I'm a dad now, Mom."_

_Akane stared at him wide-eyed and felt her reason had gone out of the window. For a long time, she stared at Yusuke, her mouth hanging open. "You…You're…What did you say?" Akane finally manage to choke out the words. "Does Sasuke know?" Yusuke stood up and took her hand. He led her to a room somewhere across the condo and opened the door for her._

_The room was painted in a bright sunny yellow and the lightest, softest shade of blue. It had carpeted floors and the walls were decorated with soft clouds, stars, a smiling sun and a sleeping moon. Akane knew that it was Yusuke's handiwork and she admitted it looked beautiful later on. It was filled with toys and pretty wind chimes were hanging near the window. But what struck Akane most were the two baby bassinets: one in soft yellow and the other in a mild shade of mint green. Both had mobiles hanging over them, each playing the same sweet song._

_She felt her knees shake. "You…You're…a father."_

_"Very good, Mom." The sarcasm in Yusuke's voice faded as the words rolled out. Akane didn't know what to say at this point of time._

_"But how—" Rumi asked and decided not to continue when she saw her mother come up to her brother. In her eyes were anger, confusion. Before she knew it, Akane had started pounding on her son's chest as hard as she can._

_"Mom, stop!" Rumi cried._

_"You!" Akane seethed as she continued ramming her fists at Yusuke with force. "How could you?! Why did you do this to yourself?! Why?! Why?! How could you kill your dreams, your youth, your future?! And what? FOR THIS?!" She felt her tears roll down her cheeks. "After all you've worked hard for! You threw it all away, just like that! What have you done?!"_

_He said nothing, letting her hit him all she wanted. Eventually, fatigue washed over here and Akane sank to the floor, tasting and feeling nothing else but her tears. She placed her head in her hands and continued to sob. Rumi knelt down and placed her arms all over her mother. After a while, she managed to ask her brother why._

_Yusuke stared in silence. He didn't know. What could he say? He couldn't really say it wasn't what they thought it was. It was just plain simple and it was already laid out right in front of them. He knew it wasn't a mistake, either. He knew what he was doing._

_"They need me," was all he could say._

_"They need you?!" their mother fumed. "Yusuke, you're twenty-one and inexperienced! You wouldn't know how to raise a child even if you tried, much more children! They need their mother! Not you!"_

_"They don't have a mother. They're my sons."_

_With pure resentment, she pointed at the bassinets. "Take them back," she said in a dangerously low voice. "You don't know what you're doing. They don't need you. You are incapable of raising them. They—"_

_"No."_

_Akane saw black. "Yuusuke, don't be blind! This is all a big mista—"_

_"They are not mistakes!" Yusuke snapped back at her. Cries from the bassinets shook from fright of the raising voices. He rushed to them and picked up one baby from the yellow bassinet, cradling it in his arms. Akane and Rumi stared at him as he tried to soothe the baby in his arms. He turned to his little sister. "Rumi, please take the kids outside. There's a rocker in the living room. You don't need to do much for them to drift off to sleep." He looked at her pleadingly. "Please."_

_Without a word—without even thinking, Rumi took both children in her arms and felt the door close behind her. Yusuke turned to Akane. "Mom, let's talk."_

* * *

Akane realized that she was staring into space. How long had she been doing that? She didn't know. However, she was thankful her back was onto Rumi when she called out to her in that trance.

"Mom, was Brother online?" she asked her. "What did he say?"

She smiled at her daughter. "Oh, he won't come home this Christmas, either," she said in an as-a-matter-of-factly tone. "What makes me even more upset is that he won't leave the twins with us. Seriously, how grabby can he get? It's not like I'm going to try and steal his children. I'm their grandmother, for crying out loud! They're partly mine." She smirked. "I even gave them their names."

"Sure you did," Rumi snarked. She yawned and stretched. "Well, I'm out. Goodnight."

"I'll be right up," Akane told her daughter. "Just let me finish my tea." With that she heard Rumi's door click shut. She thought of Rumi's comment. She did. Of course, she did. Akane's thought trained to two children both with messy hair, sparkling honey eyes as well as bright blue ones and those big goofy grins. She remembered how she felt when she first carried them in her arms right after the fight she and Yuusuke had. She remembered how soft they were and fragile to the touch. She was afraid to hold them, afraid to break them. Just like how she felt when she held Yuusuke for the first time.

The next thing she knew, they were hers.

She had loved them. She had taken care of them. And she had named them, too. That was why she knew Yuuki and Shin were hers.

* * *

_That's a wrap. Finally, my first fiction in years and my first Sket Dance fiction as well. So, Bossun's a dad now, huh? What happens next? I really don't know. Let's just say I'm winging this baby. Feedback will be really appreciated. This is one of my firsts so let's hope I did well. Review, please? ;)_

_~SMB_

_P.S. I'm pretty sure you have seen some changes but I've decided to use Bossun's real name in order for the thing not to sound weird. (Well, at least in my opinion.) Hope you liked it!_


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